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Posts tagged ‘Second Amendment’

Gun grabbers across the nation were elated at their ability to pull the wool over voters eyes in passing their ill-advised anti-gun measure, I-594 in Washington State by a fairly large margin in 2014.

Promoted as merely a simple background check requirement on private sales and well funded by out of state anti-gun interests, 18 pages of the most confusing words that even law enforcement opposed and has seen both the State Attorney General and the Dept. of Licensing shy away from offering guidance on quickly transformed into “just the first step” in what gun-grabbers erroneously label “common sense solutions” to gun violence.

“The first problem is to slow down the number of handguns being produced and sold in this country. The second problem is to get handguns registered. The final problem is to make possession of all handguns and all handgun ammunition–except for the military, police, licensed security guards, licensed sporting clubs, and licensed gun collectors–totally illegal.” (Richard Harris, “A Reporter at Large: Handguns,” New Yorker, July 26, 1976, p. 58.)

We have long referred to Liberals as “looney” and nothing shows this more than the reaction of Liberals in regards to the Washington State Republican Party auctioning off an AR-15 rifle for fundraising.

That an AR-15 functions absolutely no different than any other semi-automatic rifle, one shot per trigger pull, mean nothing to Liberals. It “looks scary.” That it fires a relative small diameter bullet means absolutely nothing, it “looks scary.”

An unidentified 15 year-old girl speaks before a legislative body, I believe in Maryland and with a little bit of common sense, deconstructs every single strawman argument currently being promoted by gun grabbers in America.

Well done, young lady.

We must ask ourselves, how is it a 15 year-old can so easily see the fallacy of the current cries of gun-grabbers and is willing to speak out to protect her future rights, yet so many others sit back quietly and hope there are sufficient numbers of other people willing to take stand and protect our rights?

“There is a terrific disadvantage in not having the abrasive quality of the press applied to you daily. Even though we never like it, and even though we wish they didn’t write it, and even though we disapprove, there isn’t any doubt that we could not do the job at all in a free society without a very, very active press.” John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States

Once was the time that we had great trust in our media to report news fairly and give us relevant information of what is happening within our cities as well as across the nation. The media was tenacious in pursuing Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States, leading him to become the first ever President to resign the office in 1974.

Perhaps fueled by their success in that endeavor, the media of today bears little resemblance to the media we largely trusted so many years ago. The media of today seems less inclined towards reporting news fairly, especially in political news and more inclined to push an agenda favored by the leftwing politicians.

Those of us old enough to remember can recall how throughout the 1980’s the media ridiculed Ronald Reagan with Sam Donaldson coming on after televised speeches to inform of us what he “really said or meant.” George H.W. Bush was portrayed as a buffoon. And of course, the relentless assaults on George W. Bush through the 2000’s even to the point in 2004 of a fabricated memo surfacing and reported as “fake but accurate.”

Saturday February 16, 2013 saw a large crowd of over 160 people assemble at Coffee Villa in Orchards, Washington. We assembled to meet new friends, discuss pending legislation, politics or whatever came to mind. Most came armed with a gun strapped to their hip to show support for our right to “keep and bear arms” that is once again under assault as government, unwilling to give up their arms, tries to pass new laws to inhibit our right to self defense by a firearm.

I was pleased to see favorable media coverage from both KGW News in Portland as well as our own local newspaper of record, the Columbian. To be honest, coverage was much better than I expected, having seen biased coverage in the past concerning guns and favoring efforts to further restrict our right to own one.

Many may think that many armed people in a small space, standing in a long line to order and be served their coffee is a recipe for disaster. Not so, as everybody in attendance came to show those with an abnormal fear of guns that guns in the hands of private citizens is nothing to be fearful of. Everybody respected each other’s space as discussions were carried on throughout the establishment.

49th Legislative District Representative, Democrat Sharon Wylie has joined with 13 other Democrats in sponsoring a bill they claim is for “Promoting firearm safety through an education program funded through fees on firearms and ammunition and creating a sales tax exemption on gun locks.”

The bill, House Bill 1703 calls for implementing taxes and fees on sales of guns and ammunition within the state citing the need to fund an “education program” designed to reduce gun deaths in Washington State.

To do this, every gun sold will have a $25 fee attached per sale and ammunition would be charged a one cent tax per round.

As always seems to happen after a horrific shooting, blame is placed on guns as gun grabbers and politicians line up to scheme of new ways to disarm law-abiding people, criminals ignoring current laws and any new ones passed (that is why we call them criminals)

But we also hear voices of sanity rising out of the sorrow. Suzanna Gratia-Hupp after losing both of her parents in the Luby’s restaurant shooting in Killeen, Texas in 1991. Darrell Scott after his daughter Rachel was gunned down in the Columbine massacre in 1999. And now, Mark Mattioli whose small son James was killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting in December 2012.

The Constitution of the United States of America is one of the most remarkable documents ever written. It clearly and in plain language lays out the foundation of our nation, the makeup of our government and establishes the rights of our citizens along with the limitations of government.

It has served our nation well in our short history and guided us into becoming the super power we have been known as, along with being the freest nation on the planet a long as we have abided by it and followed the basic tenets of it.

But government wishes to grow and assume powers our country was founded to get away from, putting the limits on citizens and granting more powers to government denied it when we adhere to our Constitution.

Over the years we have all heard the above quote or a disambiguation of it, usually from the anti-war crowd, twisting it to mean if we submit to any measure for security, we are not deserving of liberty.

What they and many others did not do, though, was to research the quote and its context. Had any done just a little research they would have discovered Ben Franklin was addressing those who would not accept one of the guns he purchased to help protect what was then the frontier from marauders and murderers.

Sadly we are once again facing the claim of if we just give up a little bit of our liberty, that being our rights under the second amendment to bear arms freely, we can be safer and our children less likely to be slaughtered in schools or even on the streets in drive-by gang shootings.

Once again, pure evil visited a community in America and the media wasted no airtime informing the world of it. At least 28 people, 20 of them small children lie dead because of the callous act of a lone mentally disturbed gunman who felt he should end so many lives at an Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Barack Obama said, “As a country, we have been through this too many times. Whether it’s an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago — these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children. And we’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.”

A little reminder as we see the inevitable cry of the gun-grabbers to ban guns again. The emotional testimony of Suzanna Gratia-Hupp who witnessed her parents being gunned down in the 1991 Luby’s Restaurant shooting in Killeen, Texas. She owned a gun, but left it locked in the glove box of her car to be in compliance with the law banning guns in restaurants then.

35-year-old George Pierre Hennard did not care about complying with the law and slaughtered 23 people while wounding another 20 before committing suicide.

The Second Amendment says “the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed”. The Washington State Constitution says it even stronger, “The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired.” However, two of our current County Commissioners think otherwise (Stuart and Boldt). An Ordinance that was unanimously passed in October 2005 by the three Commissioners at the time, Marc Boldt, Steve Stuart and Betty Sue Morris, determined that during a declared emergency, if they thought you “intend” to cause bodily harm you can’t even possess, let alone carry a gun (or anything else that could be construed as a weapon). Mind you, possess means ‘own’ therefore not even able to keep in your own home or anywhere else. This Ordinance 2005-10-03, Section 2.48A.090 (i) references this.

“An order prohibiting the carrying or possession of firearms or any instrument which is capable of producing bodily harm and which is carried or possessed with intent to use the same to cause such harm; provided that any such order shall not apply to peace officers or military personnel engaged in the performance of their official duties”.

Watching the video, I initially thought, “big deal, the guy has a concealed carry permit and carries a gun.” I admit that reading about the kids’ theater incident sounds a bit contrived and although I strongly support the Second Amendment and concealed carry with the proper permit, and that I wouldn’t carry a firearm into a kid’s movie, he does have a legal concealed carry permit.

Unless the theater bars guns, it is legal to carry, even if not the smartest thing a parent would do with his kids.

But, something didn’t set well with me. Something just didn’t sound right to me.

Admittedly, I do not support Hedrick in his congressional run, even though I supported him in standing up to Brian Baird last August. I even have questions that remain unanswered concerning his service in the US Marine Corps and disability claimed. But none of that entered my mind as I watched the video over and over trying to figure out what did not set well with me.

After a few viewings, it dawned on me what it was. If you didn’t pick up on it, watch again and pay attention towards the end of the video, after Hedrick tells the interviewer that they have a legal right to bar guns on their private property.

He states that he would not be there doing the interview in person, but it would be by phone, had they barred his carrying a gun into the interview.

The second amendment is a very serious right that carries with it grave responsibility. Concealed Carry, under current laws, is a privilege not to be taken lightly. I strongly support both, but also feel such a responsibility must be tempered with some good old fashioned common sense.

Much like holding a security clearance in the Military, having the clearance isn’t enough; you must also have “the need to know.”

As Hedrick even shows in the story about the incident at the children’s movie, it is extremely rare to need to pull a gun if you are carrying. However, the likelihood of actually needing your gun, although slim, can be real at any given moment.

But, to indicate that if you may not carry on someone’s private property, their legal right, you, a candidate for federal office, would not do an in person interview? It would be only by telephone?

Such a comment comes across to me as paranoia, or a young man still trying to prove to himself that he is a man, with little clue what manhood is really about.

I have to believe that he received adequate training in the safe and proper handling of rifles while in Basic Training and AIT, since he did serve a short while in the US Marine Corps, even if he is tight lipped about that service other than making his rank held central to his campaign, but I also wonder if that attitude of “no gun, no in person interview” extends to other venues, such as political forums or school functions with his children?

I wonder because RCW 9.41.280 prohibits firearms “in a public or private school building,” except under some strict exemptions.

To me, given his comment in the video, it would only seem logical that he would not attend school plays or PTA Meetings concerning his own children unless he was armed either.

I can only hope that this is not the case and that he obeys the law concerning concealed carry on school grounds and buildings, leaves it home or properly locked in his car and is there for his children.

There are those that see no problem with his carrying a concealed weapon to an interview. If not for the comment of “no gun, no in person interview,” neither would I.

But, that one little comment, giving us a glimpse into the mind of a candidate for office, leaves me feeling like he might just be too immature or too paranoid to be elected to office.

Ann Rivers, candidate for the 18th Legislative District seat being vacated by Jaime Herrera, was surprised Saturday evening, March 13, 2010, to receive an NRA Award while attending the annual Friends of the NRA Banquet held at the Clark County Event Center.

Also receiving an NRA Award were State Senator Don Benton and Clark County Commissioner Tom Mielke.

In a Press Release issued today, Ann said,

“I was taken totally by surprise. And I was thrilled and honored to be in such great company. I come from a family of hunters, and as a result I was very pleased to be included with such luminaries as Senator Benton and Commissioner Mielke. We all know the importance of both gun rights and gun safety, and I was happy to acknowledge this memento for my support of the goals of the NRA.”

Ann acknowledged to me that she has been working to raise money to send 4 young marksmen, Olympic hopefuls, to the national competition.

Ann is a long time supporter of gun rights and the 2nd Amendment saying, “Once the 2nd Amendment is dismantled, the remaining amendments aren’t far behind.”

How true.

Ann, along with her husband Fred and sons Rex and Derrick have hunted many times together. “One of the many legacies I want to leave behind is the right to hunt and to insure that families coming on after mine will continue to enjoy this fantastic hobby and adventure,” Ann says.

I join many others in congratulating Ann on receiving this well deserved recognition and for standing up for one of our most basic rights as American citizens.

Congratulations to Don Benton and Tom Mielke for supporting those essential rights as well.